Ellen Pompeo Makes A Head-Turning Statement About Her Future On Grey's Anatomy

There have certainly been a lot of dramatic exits from the long-running hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy,"– like when T.R. Knight tried to stand up for his character or when Isaiah Washington was discharged from the series — and plenty of comebacks, too. Deadline revealed in April 2022 that Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew would return as Dr. Jackson Avery and April Kemp (also known as the fan-favorite couple nicknamed "Japril") for the Season 18 finale. While Williams told the Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that his departure felt "organic" to him, he told the Insider that he would love to see Jackson and April have their own spin-off series and that the duo would "kill it," too.

Now there's another "Grey's Anatomy" star who has longtime fans and viewers on pins and needles about her future on the show: Ellen Pompeo. Pompeo has starred as Dr. Meredith Grey for almost two decades and she has hinted that there might be some major staff shakeups at the fictional hospital. Is she going to hang up her scrubs one last time?

While Dr. Meredith Grey hasn't turned in her resignation just yet, per Deadline she has signed a one-year deal for Season 19, it seems like Ellen Pompeo is thinking about her next major moves. In fact, in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight on May 23, Pompeo opened up about whether or not she believes that the show can go on without her titular character. Admitting that the series might need to be revamped without Meredith around, Pompeo said, "Trying to reinvent the show and continually trying to reinvent the show is the challenge at this point, and listen, the show speaks to a lot of people, and the young people love the show."

While Pompeo hasn't specified what's in store for her own future, after filming 400 episodes it sounds like she might need to take a much-needed break from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She told ET, "I was exhausted yesterday. I filmed a couple of the final scenes yesterday and I definitely had my wine after work, and I was done. I didn't cook dinner. I just laid on the couch." Hey, if there's anything that Pompeo can do during her free time once "Grey's Anatomy" is over it's catch up on all of those episodes that she's missed, right?